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Well Im not one to believe anybody over another when I dont know either person.

Rightly so. ...In the end, it sounds like the Dolphins were playing politics, and they ended up getting burned by politics. I feel bad for them when you consider the upfront money that they put into it, the opportunity loss in failing to secure any upcoming Super Bowls/events. It was a costly endeavor for Ross et al.

As far as the stadium and the future of the franchise, I hope Ross and Dee are just moping to put pressure on Weatherford and not seriously abandoning all efforts to move forward with upgrades. I don't see how Ross can seriously expect anybody to believe that he didn't know that the stadium would need upgrades when he bought it. To make it sound like this was the only year they could do it seems ridiculous. Yes, maybe they had to get it done this year IF they wanted one of the upcoming Super Bowls, and it sucks that that didn't work out, but if they don't find another way to get it done in the long run then that's all on him.

Rightly so. ...In the end, it sounds like the Dolphins were playing politics, and they ended up getting burned by politics. I feel bad for them when you consider the upfront money that they put into it, the opportunity loss in failing to secure any upcoming Super Bowls/events. It was a costly endeavor for Ross et al.

As far as the stadium and the future of the franchise, I hope Ross and Dee are just moping to put pressure on Weatherford and not seriously abandoning all efforts to move forward with upgrades. I don't see how Ross can seriously expect anybody to believe that he didn't know that the stadium would need upgrades when he bought it. To make it sound like this was the only year they could do it seems ridiculous. Yes, maybe they had to get it done this year IF they wanted one of the upcoming Super Bowls, and it sucks that that didn't work out, but if they don't find another way to get it done in the long run then that's all on him.

From what I understand they got their money back that they put up for the vote since it officially did not happen, but Im not sure how correct that is. My big question is why couldnt the vote wait until there was something to vote about. Seems like someone in Miami screwed that up pretty bad.

I don't even have to look into it to know I bet this Weatherford character is a member of the GOP. The small government proponents who tend to halt the progress of anything despite what polls say because they are fighting for only their re-election in whatever podunk far right county they're from. It's apalling

I don't even have to look into it to know I bet this Weatherford character is a member of the GOP. The small government proponents who tend to halt the progress of anything despite what polls say because they are fighting for only their re-election in whatever podunk far right county they're from. It's apalling

I wish people had truly been this upset with the 2000 presidential election lol.

Now please tell me, what Dade county business owner would not be in favor of THAT bill?? If this went to a vote there was no way he could lose, so why would someone be so ignorant as to think Ross wouldn't want it to go to a vote??

The vote probably would have lost.

The opponents of the bill waved around the magic words: Corporate Welfare.

It was DELIBERATELY and WRONGLY painted as a handout for "the rich" (i.e., Ross) and given the sociocultural climate nowadays and especially in Dade County, there is not much chance of it being able to escape that kiss of death.

Quit blaming conservatives for deep-sixing the bill, I am GUARANTEED the most conservative person on here and I am all for it. The left wingnuts are the ones who did this.

I hope with all my heart that some way can still be found to keep this team out of the hands of the media-entertainment complex who would move it to la in a split second.

Also in case anyone is interested Weatherford did respond to Ross saying he made a promise.

Not so, said Weatherford.

"I'm fine with him blaming me," he said Monday. "But that's not true. Neither I nor the House made any commitment to him."
I found
n fact, Ross might have dodged a bullet here, since this way he gets to blame Weatherford for blocking the stadium bill, instead of having to blame the public for voting it down. I wouldn’t go so far as to claim that sources say critics of the deal believe some people imagine that Ross planned it this way all along, but … oh, wait, I just did, didn’t I?

I personally dont think this is going to come back and haunt Weatherford at all. I have already seen alot of praise in the press from all that went on in this session.
There are far bigger issues that could sink or soar him.

The opponents of the bill waved around the magic words: Corporate Welfare.

It was DELIBERATELY and WRONGLY painted as a handout for "the rich" (i.e., Ross) and given the sociocultural climate nowadays and especially in Dade County, there is not much chance of it being able to escape that kiss of death.

Quit blaming conservatives for deep-sixing the bill, I am GUARANTEED the most conservative person on here and I am all for it. The left wingnuts are the ones who did this.

I hope with all my heart that some way can still be found to keep this team out of the hands of the media-entertainment complex who would move it to la in a split second.

Well, you have accurately defined yourself.

As I've always emphasized, never prevent a conservative from sounding like a conservative. The opposition has no burden other than to behold, and inherit.

The vote would have passed, and probably by surprisingly comfy margin. It had become the equivalent of a primary, where strange results are the norm. Witness the Tea Party senatorial nominees, winning upsets in primaries then rejected in November, even in the friendliest of states. Referendums are low volume, with only the most energized voters participating. That was the Yes crowd. In a short cycle, the benefit of organization and cash are overwhelming. The Dolphins were owning the airwaves. I watched my tape of the draft last night. There were propaganda commercials every half hour. A May referendum would have shifted the percentages at least 15-20 points from where it would be in November. I've bet politics for 21 years.

Ross and Dee didn't want this to come before the public. They intended to hold sham open houses, town halls and public hearings on the matter, while allowing their political cronies to quietly do the dirty work behind closed doors. Dee said two years ago it wouldn't be a public vote. Those articles are still out there. After hiring a lobbyist and sending him to Tallahassee several months ago, and with the May Super Bowl votes approaching, the Dolphins sensed an opportunity to rush this through, minus lengthy debate which would energize the opposition, spotlight the positives and negatives, and doom their chances. I give Ross and Dee credit for recognizing that a rapid fire referendum was winnable, as long as you "win the day" repeatedly. Notice all the concessions they made, never as meaningful as the hype, and never released as a block. They were one at a time, which is a typical political maneuver of "winning the day." It's particularly familiar in primaries, when the media is not fully engaged, and you can receive cheap positive spin, unopposed. You look like the good guy. Net approval ratings are vital in elections.

The party started to unravel when other counties and franchises predictably got involved, seeking their slice. It was no longer a simple bill, benefiting the Dolphins alone. The Senate passed a complicated version in the final week that included many tentacles, quite different than the House version, or anything that Weatherford had anticipated. I believe he probably did give the Dolphins early indications that the bill would be considered. But since it was at the extreme low end of the priority list, with so much focus on unresolved matters like early voting -- which will be be a key factor in the 2014 gubernatorial race -- and the stadium bill suddenly became exponentially more diverse and expensive than Weatherford anticipated, it was essentially put on hold, the sponsors told to try again if they wish.

This is actually quite familiar in the late going, for anyone who follows politics. Special interest groups spend the entire session looking for avenues to benefit their community or backers. They'll try to attach their bill to something related, even if it's not really similar. The bigshots will turn them aside, while encouraging them to be patient. There's a totem pole effect in play. That's why some politicians are known as King of Pork, or similar. They can pull trump at any time. For newcomers, if you fail this session, but play the game correctly, you'll be rewarded next time. Not only did the Dolphins not play the game down the stretch, they unleashed a petulant attack. We only heard Weatherford's response to that. He was impressively reserved. I can guarantee that others in influential positions did not take it as well. This is barely beneath the Georgia line, and southern Good 'Ole Boys we're talking about, with long memories and quite happy that their power far exceeds their salaries.

I had to read through all that excessive verbiage and innuendo several times in order to be able to derive a couple of assumptions about that last post:

1. awsi dooger was against the bill, for EXACTLY the reasons and from EXACTLY the political stance I outlined;

2. he is glad it didn't come to a vote

I will make another observation here and we'll see if this comes to pass later:

1. he will be crying the loudest when/if the team is sold and moves and will want to blame it on Weatherford

Weatherford understood that he could not allow this to happen on his watch in the present climate. He would be painted as an ugly, hypocritical, corporate conservative who doesn't care about the people. He refused to embrace this Tar Baby of an issue with important elections coming up next year.

No one has really yet pointed out that the people most affected by the tax would be all the jetsetters who make SoFla their playground and fill up the hotels seasonally... and they are by and large on the same side of the political fence as the awsi doogers. Wouldn't want to tax THEM, would we? Middle-class people don't stay in hotels nearly as much as the high-end media/sport/entertainment people do.

This whole thing was a triangulation exercise meant to be a lose-lose for conservatives. Weatherford refused to play. Too bad the Dolphins' future has been trifled with this way.

Like I said, I hope Ross gets his $$$ out of the elitists' pockets some other way.